There are already a large number of devices described for effecting payment at a point of sale. Some have attempted to couple these devices with known anti-microbial or germicidal agents, however prior to the present invention any incorporation of these agents into cash registers or currency drawers involved commercially impractical designs and expensive manufacturing processes.
Related art includes two portable devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,812 issued on Nov. 22, 1988. This patent described for a hand-held device to sterilize a surface contaminated with mold, yeast or virus using ultraviolet (UV) lamps operating at a wavelength of 253.7 nanometers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,042 issued on Jan. 23, 1990 describes a two-piece device consisting of a hand-held unit with UV lamps for sterilization of surfaces and a base unit with a fan onto which the hand-held unit is secured for the sterilization of the surrounding atmosphere. Neither invention provides for or can ensure the complete decontamination of high-risk items, such as currency, during continual routine exchange of money as occurs in a check-out unit in department stores.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,753,536 describes the neutralization of chemical and biological threats using a confined drawer design that provides a contained decontamination of high-risk items such as money. The invention incorporates the use of a combination of germicidal and thermal tubes to neutralize chemical and/or biological agents. The ultraviolet lamps emit ultraviolet radiation, preferably UV-C at a wavelength of 253.7 nanometers with the heating tube generating air temperatures of at least 160° C.
In the retail industry, customers are highly susceptible to cross-contamination handling contaminated currency. Employees are constantly handling money which significantly increases their chances of infection. If employees and/or customers perceive a store and the company as begin unclean, the company brand and reputation will be affected.
None of the prior art inventions provide for or can safely and efficiently ensure complete decontamination of the currency exchanged during purchases as occurs in a check-out unit of a large retail store. Prior devices required long UV exposure times and cumbersome manipulation which delays the purchasing process normally occurring at a full service check-out station in a retail store.
A device for sterilizing currency, such as coins checks or other monetary exchange used and exchanged by the public, and that would allow an individual with little or no formal training to seamlessly and effectively decontaminate the currency while completing routine exchanged related tasks such as would occur in a check-out line of a department store or large commercial facility would provide a useful means to control the communication of germs. Thus the present invention describes a device for sanitizing cash where there would be no change or alteration of normal operations, minimal integration into the current check-out stations, and no daily recurring costs or additional employee training is needed. Further, the present invention provides a means to use germicidal ultraviolet radiation to kill contaminants found on equipment in many various industries such as health care and in food preparatory where the spread of microbes among tools and bench-top equipment has become a problem for workers and consumers in the field.